Tent.



c. H. STONEBRIDGB.

TENT.

APPLIUATION FILED DBO. 23, 1909.

Patented ,1.apr.4=,1911.`

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TENT.

APPLICATION FILED 11110.23, 1909.

Patented Apr. 4, 1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2` um if UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

TENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 4, 1911.

Application filed December 23, 1909. Serial No. 534,582.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Criminals I-I. S'ronrr namen, a citizen of the United States, and residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tents, of which the following is a specification, such as will enable those skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to tents, the body and roof portion of which are composed of textile or fibrous material, and the object thereof is to prevent injury to such tent or the body or roof portion thereof, by the ripping, slitting or tearing of such body and roof portion occasioned by the expansion and contraction thereof under the influence or effects of heat and cold, or the wetting and drying thereof.

It is a well known fact that a tent or the body and roof portion thereof when com-- posed of textile or fibrous material will contract when wet and expand when dry, and when said body and roof portion of the tent are composed of water proof material there is an expansion and contraction thereof under the influence of heat and cold, and this expansion and contraction results in injury to said parts by the ripping, slitting or tearing thereof, but with my invention this result is avoided by means of a particular center pole construction and by means of a particular cave construction whereby the eX- pansion and contraction of the body and roof portion of the tent are provided for and injury thereto consequently obviated; and

with these and other objects in view the invention consists in a tent constructed as hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which the accompanying drawing forms a part, in which the separate parts of .my improvement. are des ignated by suitable reference characters in each of the views, and in which Figure l is a side view of a tent made according to my invent-ion with part thereof broken away, and parts shown in section; Fig. 2 a plan view of the tent; Fig. 3 a front view thereof; Fig. 4 a horizontal section through the eave portion of the tent and taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. l.

In the practice of my invention I provide a tent body a composed of canvas or other suitable textile or fibrous material and comprising a bottom portion a2, and a roof portion as, the connection between said bottom portion and said roof portion forming the eavesat, and said tent is provided with a front vestibule a comprising side members a, and a top member a7, and within which are flaps a8 which form the door proper of the tent, and which may be opened when desired to permit of ingress to and egress from the tent and said flaps as may be folded back or entirely opened when necessary or desirable for ventilation or other purposes, and the side members a of the vestibule may also be folded back at the bottom when desired or necessary for a similar purpose. I also employ a ring or band m as shown in Fig. l for connecting the top or roof portion of the tent with the top of the center pole, and this ring or band may be secured to the apex of the roof as shown in said figure or in any desired manner, and the top of the pole will tit therein; or the top of the roof portion of the tent may be connected with the top of said pole in any desired manner. I also employ a tubular center pole b comprising` three main parts, a bottom part b2, a middle part b3 and a top part b4, and the top part 7)* is provided with a telescopic supplemental member 725 which is tensionally supported by a spring b, and the parts b2, b3 and b4 are adapted to be telescoped one within another for the purpose hereinafter specified. The bottom part 12" of the center pole is provided at its lower end with a cap bf. and said part of the pole is provided at. its upper end with a reduced extension b, this construction being indicated in Fig. 1. The lower end portion of the top part b4 of the pole is provided at a predetermined distance from said end with a collar 511 below which said part is provided with an extension 7212, which is adapted to be inserted into the upper end of the middle part b3 of the pole. and the supplemental member 7), which is telescoped into the upper end of the top part b4 of the pole is, as hereinbefore stated` supported by a spring b, and in the opposite side portions thereof are slots b, and passed through the top portion of the top part b4 of the pole is a pin 7214 which passes through the slots b1, and which limits the movement in both directions of the supplemental part b5 and retains said supplen'lcntal. part in the top part 714 of the pole.

The roof portion a of the canvas body of the tent is connected with the bottom portion a2 at el to form the eaves o4 of the tent, and this connection is made, in practice, in the usual manner, by folded seams so as to give strength to these parts of the tent or said connections or seams may be reinforced in any desired manner. The roof portion a3 of the body portion of the tent is also composed of separate triangular shaped parts d2, which are all of the same size eX- cept the part at the front of the tent, which is made wider in cross section and raised to form a part of the top member a7 vof' the vestibule a5, and said part of the roof is also provided with an extension a9, which forms the roof of the top of the vestibule o5; and the parts Z2 of the roof are connected by seams Z3 formed by folding the edges of said parts so as to give strength to said seams, or by reinforcing said seams in any desired manner.

rllhe bottom part a2 of the body of the tent is also composed of separate corner parts e and side parts c2 connected at e3 by folded or otherwise reinforced seams. The corner parts e of the bottom portion of the body of the tent are triangular in form and the wider ends thereof are at the eaves of the tent while the side parts c2 are tapered upwardly, the top edges of said parts at the eaves of the tent being of the same length as the bottom edges of the parts Z2 of the roof of the tent, and by reason of this construction the shape of the tent at the eaves is that of an Octagon or eight sided figure, while the bottom of the tent is square or approximately so, and this gives the greatest possible space within a tent of given dimensions, and also gives a tent constructed, as herein shown and described, the greatest possible strength when in position for use, and also facilitates the folding and packing of the separate parts as shown and described. It will also be seen that one of the side members 62 of the body portion of the tent forms the front thereof and the door flaps'as.

r1`he side parts e2 of the bottom of the body portion of the tent are much larger and wider than the corner parts e and are reinforced by diagonally arranged stays, cords, tapes or similar devices g, and which lalso serves as attachments for the usual stakes at the corners of the bottom of the tent, or as attachments for ropes, cords or' similar devices, by means of which connection with said stakes is made, but said stakes, cords, ropes or the like form no part of this invention and are therefore not shown and described; but any suitable means may be provided whereby the bottom edges of the tent body may b-e raised or folded up for ventilation or other purposes, as will be vunderstood and as is done with other tents of this class.

Extending around the body of the tent at the eaves thereof and preferably inside of shown in Fig. 4L. One of the rods h2 is then inserted into said keeper, the adjacent keeper 7a3 is then mounted on said rod, by inserting the said rod thereinto and this operation is repeated, passing around in the direction of the arrow 0c in Fig. t, and till all therods and keepers are connected as shown in said ligure. The keepers '7b3 are provided centrally each with an eye or loop j and passing' through each of said eyes or loops is a short cord jig, one end of which is provided with a hook or similar member (7'3, and vthe other end of which is, in practice passed through the eaves port-ion of the tent and formed into a knot jt and the cords y'2 are provided adjacent to the eyes or loops through which they are passed with knots i5 and the connection of said cords with the hooks or other devices je* is also made by a suitable tie or knot je. With this construction when the tent is not set up for use the keepers h3 may always be suspended at the eaves portion of the tent by means of the cords jz, and the knots jt, said keepers being free to move on said cords, but said movement being limited by the knots i5, and in the operation of placing the rods 7b2 and keepers h3 in position, as shown in Fig. 4, and as' hereinbefore described, the hooks ja at oneend of said cords h2 are connected with the corresponding eyes or loops j of another of said keepers and this connection may be made as tight as desired and may be loosened or tightened at any time by simply untying and retying the knot or knots at js, it being understood that the cords j2 are always preferably suspended from the eaves portion of the tent by means of the knots jA1 and this construction, as will be understood, permits of the expansion and contraction of the body of the tent at the eaves thereof or provides means whereby said eX- pansion or contraction may be accommodated so as to prevent the slitting, tearing or ripping of the body of the tent which frequently results from such expansion or contraction. My invention is not limited, however, to this particular means for connecting the keepers 7b3 with the eaves portion of the tent and this connection may be made in any desired manner and sai-d keepers may be made detachable from the eaves portion of the tent. The rods h2 are also preferably passed through tubular keepers or sleeves j7 composed of any suitable, flexible material and secured at the eaves of the tent and this helps to hold the reinforcing ring or band h or the separate parts thereof in proper position.

It will be understood that the connection being the parts h2 and the keepers h3 of the eaves reinforcing ring or band h, is a telescopic connection, and said parts are movable, one within another, and the cords y"` hold said parts together and prevent the separation thereof while permitting of their free movement one upon, or within another within certain limits. This construction, as will be understood, provides a reinforcing ring or band for the eaves portion of Ithe tent, which is capable of expansion and contraction, and it will be understood that the supplemental spring supporting member' at the top ofthe center pole is also to accommodate the expansion and contraction of the roof portion of the body of the tent as well as the bottom thereof and by means of this construction any expansion or contraction of the body portion of the tent may be provided for and the slitting, tearing yor ripping thereof which frequently results from suoli expansion and contraction may thus be avoided.

It is a wellknown fact that the expansion and contraction of the body portion of the tent made from textile material of any kind or class, and under certain conditions will result either in drawing the stakes by which the tent is secured to the ground, in breaking the cords by which the body of the tent is secured to said stakes, or in slitting, tearing or ripping the body of the tent, but with my improvement these changes in the condition of the body portion of the tent are provided for by the automatic, telescopic action of the top member bf of the tent pole and by a corresponding automatic expansion and contraction of the cords by which the parts of the eaves reinforcing ring or band h are held in connection and by untying and retying the knots j or a part thereof, greater expansion and contraction may be provided within said reinforcing ring or band. In will be understood that my invention in this respect is not limited to the exact form or construction of the eaves reinforcing ring or band z/ and various changes in and modifications of this feature of my improved tent construction may be made, all that is necessary in this connection being that the said reinforcing ring or band be composed of separate parts adjustably or movably connected and also connected by cords or other devices capable of expansion and contraction under conditions specified.

Another feature of my improvement consists in the form and construction of the means for supporting the vestibule ai on the top or roof portion thereof in order to prevent snow from accumulating thereon and also from accumulating on the adjacent art of the roof construction of the tent. n order to accomplish this result that part of the roof portion of the tent in connection with which the top or roof portion of the vestibule is formed, is made wider than the other parts of the roof portion as hereinbefore described, and to support the top or roof portion of the vestibule I provide a rod composed of two separate parts connected by a sleeve ZF and provided with a keeper ,7.:3 with which is connected a cord 7u", which is connected with the top of the tent pole, or with any other suitable cap member or connecting device supported at or by the top of said pole, and the inner end of the rod c is, in practice, inserted into an aperture la formed in the top part of said pole, and the outer end thereof is inserted into a pocket or other keeper le secured centrally of the top of the roof or cover of the vestibule and at the outer edge thereof, and said rod /a is also provided with stay cords or similar devices le?, which are connected with the corresponding keepers Il. of the eaves reinforcing ring or band L at the top of the flaps as or door of the tent.

In the operation of packing the tent, or the separate parts thereof for shipment or other purposes, the separate parts b2, b, b" of the center pole are disconnected, the parts h2 of the eaves reinforcing band or ring It are also disconnected from the keepers h3 and the parts of the vestibule supporting rod are also disconnected and all of said parts are inserted into the top part bt of the center pole, and if desired, the elbow shaped keepers LS may also be detached and inserted into said part of the center pole. The said part 7) of the pole is then passed into or through the center part b3 of said pole and said center' part b3 is then passed into the lower end of the bottom part b2 of said pole, the cap 7)? being detached for this purpose, after which said cap is again connected with said part b2 of the pole. In this operation the tensionally supported member at the upper end of the part b* of the pole passes into the tubular extension o at the upper end of the bottom part b2 of the pole, and this forms the smallest possible package for said parts and the tent body may then be folded around the telescoped parts of the pole and the entire tent may thus be folded up intothe smallest possible compass and be easily transported from one point to another or packed away as may be desired. The separate parts of the pole are also so formed that the outside transverse dimensions of the part D* of the center pole are less than the inside transverse dimensions of the part L, while the outside transverse dimensions of the part -b3 are less than the inside transverse s dimensions or the part b2, and with this construction the said parts iit loosely one Within another, and there is no danger of said parts becoming stuck together or connected by rust or corrosion or in any other Way.

lith my improved construction the body of the tent including the roof and bottom portion may be made of much lighter' material, and in practice the eaves reinforcin@ ring or band or the separate parts thereoI may be so adjusted or regulated that there may be no transverse or horizontal strain on the roof port-ion of the tent body at the eaves or on the bottom portion of said tent body at the eaves, all that is necessary in order to make a strong and substantial tent being to provide suitable material and suitable reinforcing means for the separate parts of the roof and bottom part of the body portion Where connected, and also suitable reinforcing means for the side parts of the bottom ot said bottom portion or' the tent.

By employing the ring or band 7i at the eaves oi' the tent, as hereinbefore described, l avoid the use of all braces or similar devices connected with the center pole in any Way for supporting the body portion thereof, and when the center pole is placed under the center of the root construction, as herein shown and described and the ring or band /i is placed in position, and the bottom of the tent secured in the usual manner to stakes or other devices, the tent Will be firmly supported against all possible contingencies.

Although I have shown and described the center pole as composed oit' three main parts it will be apparent that as far as the construct-ion of the body of the tent is concerned the center pole may not necessarily be composed of three parts, the object in making said pole in three or more parts being to provide means whereby said parts may be packed together in the smallest possible form, and the separate parts of the reinforcing ring or band 72, placed therein, if desired, for convenience in packing, shipping, carrying or storing the tent.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is 5- l. A tent, comprising a body portion composed of ibrous material and comprising a root part and a bottom part, said tent being provided with a` center pole and at one side with flaps Jforming a door and a vestibule inclosing said door, the top of the vestibule" being formed in connection with a part of the roof and being supported by av rod detachably connected With the center pole oi' the tent and with the top front portion of the vestibule.

2. A tent, comprising a body portion com posed of fibrous material and comprising a roof part and a bottom part, said tent being provided with a center pole and at one side with flaps forming a door and a vestibulo inclosing said door, the top of the vestibule being formed in connection with a part ot' the root and being supported by a rod detachably connected with the center pole ot the tent and with the top front portion of the vestibule, said pole being composed of telescopic parts and the top member being tensionally supported.

3. A tent comprising a body portion and a center pole, said body portion being composed of fibrous material and comprising a roof part and a bottom part, said roof part and bottom part being connected to form the eaves of the tent, and said eaves of the tent being provided with a reinforcing ring or band, the bottom part of the tent being provided at one side with flaps forming a doorway and a vestibule inclosing the doorway, the top of the vestibule being in connection with a portion of the root part and being supported by a rod detachably connected With the center pole and With the top front portion of the vestibule, said rod being also connected yith the top of the tent and with the eaves reinforcing band at the opposite sides of the top of the doorway.

4. A tent comprising a body portion composed of flexible material and comprising a roof part and a bottom part, said tent being provided With a center pole and at one side with a doo-r and a vestibule inclosing said door, the top of the vestibule being supported by a rod detachably connected with the center pole of the tent and with the top front portion of the vestibule.

5. A tent comprising a body portion comy posed of flexible material and comprising a root part and a bottom part, said tent being provided With a center pole and at one side with a door and a vestibule inclosing said door, the top ot the vestibule being supported by arod detachably connected with the center pole of the tent and With the top front port-ion of the vestibule, said rod being composed of detachably connected parts.

6. A tent comprising a body portion composed ot flexible material and comprising a root part and a bottom part, said tent being provided With a center pole and at one side with a door and a vestibule inclosing said door, the top of the vestibule being supported by a rod detachably connected With the center pole of the tent and with the top front portion of the vestibule, said rod being composed of detachably connected parts and being supported by a cord connected With the central portion thereof and with the top of the pole.

7. A tent comprising a body port-ion of iieXible material and consisting of top and bot-tom parts connected to form the eaves of the tent and a center pole, the body part of the tent being provided at one side with a door and a vestibule, the top of the vestibule being supported by a rod connected with the front part thereof and With the pole.

S. A tent comprising a body portion of flexible material and consisting of top and bottom parts connected to Aform the eaves of the tent and a center pole, the body part of the tent being provided at one side with a door and a vestibule, the top of the vestibule being supportati by a rod connected with the front part thereof and with the pole, said rod being supported centrally thereof by :L cord connected therewith and with the top of the pole.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing :is my invention I have signed my name in 15 presence of the subscribing Witnesses this 21st day of December 1909.

CHARLES H. STONEBRIDGE.

Vitnesses C. E. MULREANY, B. M. RYnnsoN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

